So if I wanted to get a boat larger than my Eclipse, recommendations??

[captronr]

Currently have an Eclipse.  Love the boat, but my previous boat was a Macgregor 26X.  The eclipse sails better and rigs much faster. Being 6'1" though, it's not comfy for me to sit below.  The Mac made a nice boat for cruising/camping, with plenty of room.

So to get more cabin room, what would I have to move to in a Compac?

The Mac 26Xs are getting old and hard to find a good one.  I don't like the layout of the 26M.  What are some other boats I should consider?

Relax, my boat budget is light years away from purchasing.

Thks.
Ron

[Tom L.]

Hi Ron, I had a Sun Cat that we used as a trailer sailer. I rigged a 5:1 block and tackle along with what is really a spreader for the mast and forestay and added a clutch on the cabin top. I could raise and lower the mast while standing in the cockpit. That was the main reason I moved to the Sun Cat. I could literally be in the water in 10 minutes.
A big plus for this boat is how easy it is to sail. I use to beat up the ICW in relatively narrow channels tacking often and of course no ropes to pull just steer the boat.
The bad news is the cabin is really small as is the cockpit. Plus I could not sit up in the cabin...no cabin head room. So after a few years I started looking around.
By this time I was a hard core cat boat lover. At 71 it's  a great arrangement. I looked long and hard for a Horizon but couldn't find the right boat at my price point.
I chose a "97" Menger 19 and had to drive to Toms river from central Florida to get the boat. It has monster bunks over 7 feet with room at the bottom to store stuff. It has comfortable inside seating with ample head room. Finally the cockpit is huge, easily enough room for six. It also has a Yanmar diesel, so nice.  So it's not a Com Pac but I feel I owe Hutchins a debt of gratitude for getting me aboard a Cat Boat in the first place. Please don't stone me for not buying another Com Pac.

Tom L.

[Reighnman]

Do you plan on trailering it? Might want to ask a CP23 owner. I have a 19 and can sit up inside but it wouldn't be fun trailering every weekend. Voyager 20 or porter 19 seem like great trailer sailors but not cheap! Check out the mast raising video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6UPmtolgR4

[slode]

I sailed a WWP19 and went with the Eclipse over it strictly due to cabin space.  The centerboard takes up a lot of room and the quarter births aren't as roomy.  Plus International Marine is out of business and I wanted a company I could rely on for at least a few years for parts and help. 

[Tom L.]

I forgot to mention if you are a trailer sailer the Menger 19 has a hinged mast and the sail stays bent on so it is almost as fast from parking lot to water as our Sun Cat.

I also had a WWP19 and found the bunks uncomfortable at best for a full sized adult. The rigging and work to bend on sails etc. takes forever compared to these hinged mast cat boats.

Tom L.

[brackish]

Age, agility and muscular skeletal health are a big factor.  I bought my 23 nearly 8 years ago and for much of that time it was fine.  Comfortable sitting headroom for my 5'11" frame, and plenty of room if you are organized about your gear, to move about.  Forward berth was fine for me alone or with the Admiral to sleep.  Set it up for easy cruising and camping.   Just turned 71 and the boat is the same but we are not.  At this point I would need standing head room, a galley that is permanently set up and a separate head for the two of us to be truly comfortable for overnight cruising.  And we would prefer a hull form that sails somewhat flat with a little more initial stability, less tender in gusts.  So if I don't end up going over to the dark side, a 27 in a Compac would probably be the minimum I would consider.  certainly not a trailer sailor, but I'm also tired of the tow/rig/launch process.

[wes]

Charlie Deisher's 27 "Wind Runner" is for sale in NC. Please don't buy it, because then he will get a 35 and I'll be insanely jealous.

Wes

[deisher6]

Hey Ron, I was just going to suggest a vintage C-27 and point out where there is one for sale.

Thanks Wes. 

Seriously though they are a solid boat that fits well into most styles of sailin'.  There are those C-33/35's though.

regards charlie

[alsantini]

Well Ron...  I believe I asked you whether you could "wear" the Eclipse or not.  It is small, and that is one of the advantages especially when trailering it around and stepping the mast each time.  If you were keeping the boat in the marina like I think you do, a Precision 23 is a great boat.  Yes I know this is a Com Pac site but....  I had the little brother to it, a P-21.  It also was a great boat and would be a step up in size from the Eclipse.  I sail on a P-23 down here with a long time friend.  There is plenty of room both in the cockpit and the cabin.  No enclosed head, but sitting headroom, a generous V berth, good quarter berths big enough for an adult to sleep comfortably.  and it is a great sailing boat.  Biggest drawback is stepping the mast!  We did it on my buddy's P-21 and it took 4 adult (hint: younger....) men, a long line.  Two to steady it side to side, two to pull it up.  It is a beast.  But, once it is up, you are good to go.  Mast is 32 feet or so above the water.  If you will step in the Spring and un-step in the fall, want a little bit more room and still want a great sailing boat, consider the P-23.

[captronr]

Well, thanks for all the replies. 

I doubt that we will trailer much anymore, but might make 1-2 trips per year.  Since the Eclipse will live in a slip during the summer, my guess is it will be my last boat.  But with all the great ideas given, I might keep my eyes open for one locally.

Yes Al, you did ask me that.  I was so enamored with the Eclipse, I had to get it.  You just wanted me to say no so you could buy it (grin).  Tell you what, if/when I sell, I'll give you first dibs!  I'm just hopeful I can get on it a lot this summer and enjoy it.

Thks.
Ron

[Bilgemaster]

Currently have an Eclipse.  Love the boat, but my previous boat was a Macgregor 26X.  The eclipse sails better and rigs much faster. Being 6'1" though, it's not comfy for me to sit below.  The Mac made a nice boat for cruising/camping, with plenty of room.

So to get more cabin room, what would I have to move to in a Compac?

The Mac 26Xs are getting old and hard to find a good one.  I don't like the layout of the 26M.  What are some other boats I should consider?

Relax, my boat budget is light years away from purchasing.

Thks.
Ron

There are still plenty of well-loved and well-found Macgregor 26Xs out there, but yes, the lowest priced ones have often been sorely neglected for years.  In my hunt specifically for a 26X I looked over several truly woeful examples in my price neighborhood (and it's a lousy neighborhood, littered with broken crack vials and malt liquor bottles) before settling on my 2001 light fixer-upper, which was mostly a matter of sorting out the half-installed but basically all new electrics throughout the cabin begun by the previous owner.  Before any real Chesapeake cruising commences in earnest, I still need to install her brand new pressurized water system that the previous owner was kind enough to convey along with a vanload full of other needful nautical gear.  But for day sailing or even weekending she's pretty much tip-top now, and I picked her up for only $6,500 just a month shy of 3 years ago. There were some trailer title issues (as in no title for that trailer) contributing to that ultra-lowball price (low even for the close of winter), but it all got sorted out eventually.  So, they're still out there--and good ones too. 

Like you, I prefer the 26X to its successor the 26M for a whole host of reasons (larger cockpit, more open cabin layout, standing room in a more conveniently located head, swing keel instead of dagger, simpler rigging, a larger helm pedestal with a swing-up table, and of course that reassuring backstay). But honestly, I would probably have been perfectly happy with a 26M too.

If you'd really like to come back to the hybrid power-sailing "Dark Side" with our loathsome six foot headroom, sissified head with a door, lazy plush queen-sized berths and cowardly 20 knot dashes away from those storm clouds and back to that nice warm dry marina bar and buffet, you're always welcome back, Cap'n Ron.  You know where to find us.

[captronr]

Thanks Bildgemaster,

You echo my sentiments about the Macs!  To me, the Xs and Ms have the feel of a big boat, while sailing like a little boat. 

I might keep my eyes open at my former sail club; there a couple year old M that was in the water one season, then they had motor issues. Put it on the hard, removed the motor, and it's sat there unused for about 6 years.  I know they bought a "real sailboat" and haven't touched the Mac.  I might inquire with a low ball price to 'take it off their hands'........................

Til then, I'll stay happy with my eclipse.
Thks.
Ron

[Second2last25]

Ron,

Have you looked at a c-25?  My wife and I picked one up last summer, I'm 6'2" and the interior room is large enough for me.  After selling our Cal 31 I said that I would never get a "trailer-able" boat or any small boat for that mater, but after seeing the Com-Pac 25 I changed my mind.  We looked at a Seaward 25 and a couple Hunter 26 and 260's, but the Com-Pac was a stand out.  It has all the comforts that I had on the Cal but in a smaller and towable lighter weight boat.  They are a little hard to come by but well worth the search.

Chris

[Awfeith]

Ron,
My 27 is for sale down here in Fl. There are photos in previous threads.

Good luck,

Andr'e